Jose Riga reappointed as Charlton manager

Charlton Athletic have confirmed the return of Jose Riga to The Valley after being appointed as their new first-team manager. He replaced Karel Fraeye, who was sacked from his role as interim head coach yesterday. Riga returns for a second spell with the club and has signed an 18-month contract.

The 58-year-old was previously with the Addicks in 2014 when he successfully guided the club away from the Championship relegation places. Fraeye was on his coaching team on that occasion. The Belgian has been out of work since departing French Ligue 2 side Metz in December, where he left the club in sixth position in the table.

Owner Roland Duchatalet accepts that this season has been very disappointing so far, but firmly believes Riga can transform the club and sustain them in this division,

“This has been a disappointing season for everyone connected with Charlton and the board take responsibility for that. Some things, like an unprecedented numbers of injuries, we could not have foreseen. But we have also made errors in recruitments, mistakes we have immediately tried to address in January.

It was also crucial we dealt with the position of the Head Coach. Jose did an excellent job in his short period with Charlton two seasons ago. He was very popular with supporters and I believe that he will get us back on track. There are 20 matches of the season still to play and it’s vital that we battle for every point.”

Since leaving Charlton in the first place, Riga has held roles with Blackpool, a return to Standard Liege and then Metz last year. He will take charge of his first game in his second spell with the Addicks this weekend when they travel to promotion-chasing Hull City.

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I currently work as a Championship Research Analyst for Onside Analysis Ltd. In this role I provide match previews and reviews for every Championship game. I also delve into matches from all across the globe, gaining an insight into football from different leagues in different countries. I came into this role shortly after graduating from The University of Hull after studying BSc Sports Coaching & Performance. I am a Lincoln City fan and thankfully they're back in The72!!